Editor’s Picks: Guns & Gear

A double-action-only (DAO) gun where each trigger pull is long and heavy to bring some comfort from a safety perspective.  Little felt recoil and highly customizable for grip size.  Check out the rest of our Best Handguns for Women.

It's a Glock. Kick it, drop it, beat it with a stick, almost nothing gets a Glock down. They changed the world with their design and they are still the most respected and dependable name in the business. See our full review after 3500 rounds.

6.8 SPC isn't the most common cartridge for home defense, but it is great in that role. Designed for CQB and still perform at range, the 6.8 SPC delivers when it counts. Hornady is a common name when it comes to quality home- and self-defense ammunition and their 120 gr SST 6.8 SPC rounds are once again our top pick. Find out more in our 6.8 SPC Review!

The go-to precision bolt rifle that shoots great out of the box...but can also be upgraded into a tack-driver.  See more at Best Sniper & Precision Rifles.

Contains all the elements of what I think makes a perfect all-around barrel.  Check out more in our Best AR-15 Barrels article.

Best overall lightweight lower where you can shed a quarter pound in your lower alone.  BAD didn't go overboard and take out weight that might be necessary.  Plus it looks BAD-ass.  For more choices check out Best AR-15 Lowers.

Perfect for your next long-range AR-15 build! Take a look at this and more in our Complete .224 Valkyrie Guide!

The Trijicon IR-HUNTER is a true standout amongst thermal optics. With exceptional features like the Enhanced Target Recognition (ETR) image enhancement, battery extender, and 4.5x and 8x optical zoom, it makes for one of the best hunting thermals on the market. However, the performance does have a price to match. Read more about the Trijicon IR-HUNTER in the Best Thermal Scopes [All Budgets].  

Ruger has more models of the 10/22 than you can shake a stick at and while all of them are worthy of the legendary Ruger name, the 10/22 Takedown in stainless steel is our favorite. A takedown model is perfect for a .22 LR rifle and the stainless steel looks amazing and increases the longevity of the rifle dramatically. Read more in our Best .22 LR Rifles article!

Want to have a backup in case your main optic fails?  The Magpul BUIS (backup iron sites) are light, out of the way, and effective.  Check out other BUIS options in our guide here.

For a handgun, on the cheaper end of the line. Still reliable and dependable - two things that are an absolute must for any CCW handgun.

RCA brings its A-game with a titanium BCG that is light and won't have wear issues in your aluminum upper receiver.  What we run in our competition rifles.  See more pictures and stats at Best Lightweight Bolt Carrier Groups.

Don't let the latest 5.56 NATO loads distract you; good, old, 55-grain M193 ammo is still great AR-15 food! We prefer this ammo from PMC. It's accurate and reliable without being priced out of reach. Read all our thoughts in our guide to the Best AR-15 Ammo.

Great for teaching kids, hunting squirrels, or just quiet plinking. Find other great air rifles in our 5 Best Air Rifles!

I got a lot of great things to say about the Cimarron revolvers, more than I can fit here! They are outstanding in craftsmanship, old world gunsmiths would be proud of these. Perfect clockwork, amazing wood finish, everything about them is perfect. If you want to get your cowboy on - Cimarron is what I would pick for the best of the best. Read more about it in our Hands-on Review!

Linear comps are perfect for short barrels because they throw the blast and concussion of firing downrange and away from the shooter. This has the effect of slightly increase recoil, but drastically reduces fireballs, felt concussion and gas away from you, and keeps your shooting partners happy! Take a look at it and other great AR-15 comps in the Best 3-Gun Rifle Compensators!

Cole-Tac's HTP is, hands down, one of the best suppressor covers you can buy. It is totally customizable and rated for full-auto. Not to mention, it works with shorter barrels. It just works! You can check out the Cole-Tac and other models in the Best Suppressor Covers. 

Sig Sauer Legion is much like other brand's "Custom Shop" tier of guns, it's their improved version with nicer internals, externals, and everything fitted and inspected for perfection. If you're looking for the best P226 you can get or you plan on upgrading your P226, consider the Legion P226 first - it might meet your needs right out of the box. Read more about it in our Complete Hands-on Review!